About Namibia

Population: 2.2 million
Area: Six times the size of New York State
Climate: Arid; only the north receives enough rainfall to support agriculture
7th most unequal country in the world; 66.4% of Namibia’s wealth goes to the top 20% and 3.3% go to the bottom 20%.

Our Focus: Northeastern Namibia

The highest incidences of poverty in Namibia are found in Kavango and Zambezi Regions, both located in the northeastern corner of the country, where 43% and 42% of people live below the national poverty line, respectively.
Median daily expenditure is extremely low (USD $0.34 ‑ $1.04), a value below all but the world’s 6 poorest countries.
Rural livelihoods: rain-fed maize production, small-scale vegetable production, raising cattle, fishing, harvesting indigenous plants, informal retail and tourism.
Low maize yields due to mono-cropping without adequate soil nutrient replenishment, poor soils and recurrent droughts and floods.
Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area: Zambezi Region is part of the world’s largest conservation area (a connected network of national parks and wildlife/game management areas spanning 5 countries where wildlife move freely) with the largest population of elephants in Africa.

Sources: Namibia Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2009/2010 by Namibia Statistics Agency,
Zambezi Regional Economic Strategy Report 2015

Over 60% of the population depends on farming as their primary livelihood.
Smallholders produce 90% of the agricultural output in Africa.
Raising the productivity of agriculture is 2.5 times more effective at reducing poverty (and improving food security) than growth in other sectors.
By connecting farmers with the appropriate assistance, small-scale producers can increase their productivity and incomes in a sustainable way, growing more with less land, water and costly inputs.

Sources: IFAD 2011, Wiggins 2009, Nagayets 2005.

For a detailed schematic illustrating how Agri Connexions Africa
plans to achieve its goals, please click on the Project Diagram, at left.